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Dear Neighbor,
For too long, responsible spending has been a foreign concept to Washington, sticking the American people with a national debt that now exceeds $36 trillion. President Trump, his new Administration and House Republicans are on a mission to cut wasteful Washington spending, reduce our out of control debt, and responsibly fund the federal government as we fight to get America’s financial house in order. In order to ensure the government stays open and accessible to Americans while we fight to save our economy from more reckless spending, we passed a clean continuing resolution to extend government funding through September 30, 2025. This will give President Trump and his team time to continue their good work. Our funding plan would make sure necessary programs like those for our Veterans and healthcare are taken care of, without bloated Democrat spending. It includes an additional $6 billion for Veterans’ healthcare and housing, and increases defense spending to keep Americans safe and cared for. Additionally, the legislation funds authorized pay increases for junior enlisted military personnel and the Women and Infant Children (WIC) program. Meanwhile, our plan cuts non-defense spending and ensures taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. It is vital that Washington changes its trajectory and starts reining in spending to reduce the debt, but also that the government remains open to serve the American people. Our legislation accomplishes both.
Please continue reading to learn more about my efforts on your behalf last week.
Demanding Accountability: A new finding by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) indicates that $312 million pandemic loans were distributed to businesses owned by children. I look forward to hearing the outcome of the investigation by DOGE and SBA into this egregious situation and to seeing the problem rectified in a manner that holds those responsible for fraudulent behavior accountable.
Last week, we passed the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act, with my support. It extends the statute of limitations to ten years for prosecuting fraudsters and criminals who illegally exploited federal pandemic unemployment programs. Officials estimate that this could help recover billions of taxpayer dollars lost to fraud during COVID-19. Currently, the statute of limitations for fraud under these unemployment programs is five years, with the deadline falling on March 27, 2025. If the statute of limitations is not extended, we will no longer be able to prosecute these crimes, whether new cases or ongoing ones. We also won't be able to recover any more of the stolen funds. I urge my Senate colleagues to pass this important measure so the President can sign it into law.
Restoring Fiscal Sanity: Americans expect their elected officials to be good stewards of their hard-earned tax dollars. There is no justification for the bloated bureaucracy and wasteful spending that has continued for far too long. I will keep fighting to restore fiscal sanity.
I will also keep fighting for Florida’s families and small business owners by extending the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act provisions as part of the reconciliation process.
Securing the Border: New reports continue to reveal the damage done by the Biden Border Crisis. We must continue strengthen border security!
Ensuring Access to Quality Care: I’ve filed the Finn Sawyer Access to Cancer Testing Act. The targeted reforms in our bill will have a meaningful impact on accelerating the development of treatments for rare cancers and will remove bureaucratic hurdles that currently keep cancer patients from accessing diagnostic screening and effective treatments by qualified specialists. Every cancer patient deserves the best chance of survival, and we must create a streamlined regulatory system and payment model to realize this important goal. Our bipartisan legislation will provide hope to millions of patients and families battling cancer and will lead to improved patient outcomes. Click here to learn more about our legislation.
Empowering Parents: Attorney General Bondi’s repeal of Merrick Garland’s weaponized school board memo is a big win for parents and a step toward restoring the rule of law. Click here to learn more.
Supporting the Arts: My office is now accepting submissions from students for this year’s Congressional Art Competition. All local high school students are welcome to apply.
Learning from You: This Friday, March 21, 2025, I will be hosting a tele-townhall to update constituents on my efforts in Washington. All constituents are welcome to call in and participate. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Community Connection
I am fortunate to have a team of dedicated staff who regularly attend events throughout our community, especially when I am required to be in Washington, DC. Through their collective efforts, I am better able to stay connected to the issues that matter most to my constituents. As part of my commitment to developing a better understanding of the issues facing constituents in Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties, members of my team attended several events last week. Here are a few highlights.
My team attended a Citrus County Habitat for Humanity home dedication.
My team also served as a judge for the 4H Speech Contest in Citrus County.
Additionally, my team enjoyed listening to local business owners discuss their needs at the Brooksville Rotary meeting.
Constituent Corner
My team recently received this message after helping resolve a problem our constituent was having with her FEMA claim.
Thank you for helping me with my FEMA appeal. They finally issued payment last week. It was a long and frustrating process but you guys were so great throughout everything. I'm so grateful!
This is just one example of the work we do each day. Constituent services are a critical element of our congressional office. The federal government is a massive operation, and my office is available if you ever need assistance in navigating the bureaucracy or cutting through red tape. We are here to serve you! |